Smaug is a fascinating character, and also shapes Bilbo's experiences like Gollum and the finding of the ring.

In fact, it's another case where Bilbo's education and just plain being a hobbit adds value to the whole experience of talking with Smaug. None of the dwarves could have handled talking with the dragon, and his conversation provided useful information that is put to good use.

Smaug isn't just a furnace with wings, he has good eyesight; great hearing; and an excellent sense of smell. The ring gives Bilbo a little bit of an advantage in being able to talk without being incinerated, but this is also the classic Tolkien dragon. Smaug's predecessor, Glaurung, had a similar tendency to talk a lot.

We could have a whole thread just on dragon origins in M-E.

"Hear me, hounds of Sauron, Gandalf is here! Fly if you value your foul skins, I will shrivel you from tail to snout if you step within this circle!"

"Do not be to eager to deal out death in judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."

Hence the more grande in my op. This should be as engaging and as intense as Riddles,
[In reply to]

Can't Post

but certainly there are differences. Smaug is not Gollum and Gollum is NO Smaug. Gollum relies on being unobtrusive. It is key to the threat he poses. Left in plain sight and close quarters with an Orc, Dwarf, Man or Elf, his only real hope would be in being underestimated (i.e. his larger, deadlier opponent not taking into account his psycho strength. . . and even that would likely not be sufficient against an Elf, dwarf or an orc like Azog or Lurtz).

Smaug. . . even his attempts at not being seen are of a massive, force of nature scale (sending up a city enveloping fog by dipping his massive foot into the lake. . . so that you cannot see him or anything else, including the rest of the city)! He is all about granduer, all about the magnificence of himself, and he never forgets his own name. . . but a massive ego, with all the heft, bulk and power to back it, can be just as fascinating and mesmerizing as a pitiable, psychotic slinker.

And Smaug is also very cagey and very clever. Fascinatingly so.

In Reply To

in, i think it is February issue of Empire there is a bit about DoS and this is what Benedict said about Smaug

“We weren’t in the same room together. If Martin had been there, I would have wanted to play off him, but there are size issues. Smaug is bigger than the hobbit – I think I can say that!

This isn’t the riddles scene. It’s slightly different, it’s intricate. Smaug doesn’t engage with the Hobbit the same way as Smeagol does. Smeagol gets drawn in, whereas Smaug is on much more of an ego trip. He likes to feel dominant at all times, and because of what he’s capable of, he is.”

The mind meld worries me because that is essentially what is being done with the spiders, and in that case it is attributed to the Ring.
[In reply to]

Can't Post

I.E. the Ring allows Bilbo to understand Evil beasties. But Smaug is an intellect, and a capable conversationalist whether you wield a Great Ring or not. It would be horrible for him to come across as just a lumbering beastie whom Bilbo can only make sense of because he has a Ring on. That is my only major concern there. (Smaug also laughs. . . enough to shake the treasury). One of my few qualms with The Balrog was that Peter might have gone a little to bestial with his gait and by making him roar, as well as in the decision not to film the scene in which he contests Gandalf's wizardry with his own demonic sorcery for control of the door to the chamber of Marzabul. In dealing with an audience where not everyone knows better, I would rather it be clear that Smaug can definitely reason clearly, and very cleverly, and talk.

In Reply To

There are other movies where they tried to have talking dragons (Dragonheart, Eragon) and it just didn't work. So either they have some new wonder CGI that will make this better, or it will be a mind meld of some sort. I just want it to be awesome! In fact, it must be awesome! No expectations or anything.

"Hear me, hounds of Sauron, Gandalf is here! Fly if you value your foul skins, I will shrivel you from tail to snout if you step within this circle!"

"Do not be to eager to deal out death in judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."

That's how I want the scene with Smaug to play out. Smaug is magnificent, so they should show his magnificence. That's what I'm looking most forward to about the movie, is the big reveal of Smaug. It must be spectacular.

"Hear me, hounds of Sauron, Gandalf is here! Fly if you value your foul skins, I will shrivel you from tail to snout if you step within this circle!"

"Do not be to eager to deal out death in judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."

I have always felt B C was a great choice. I love his nuanced performances in Atonement and Parades End. To non believers it sounds daft but this dragon needs to be cast properly. I also think the script team, who know of Glaurung, will be very aware of Tolkiens genius for inhabiting these creatures with "Morgoths strain" the dragons personality and all its foibles is a very direct consequence of Morgoths ancient interventions in the Music. A part of Morgoths dispersed power is on show here and that is what our funny little chap is pitted against. This could be amazing and one of the best examples of portraying evil in middle earth.

Like the thread starter I believe Bilbo's encounter and conversation with his magnificence could be the great chamber piece in the third act that the Gollum/Bilbo scene was. Counter pointing the battle in the south and finally Smaug getting in a serious paddy flying off down the Lake as he does at the end of Chapter 12. I tried to save the shire , and it has been but not for me.